SternchenvsSternenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Sternchen” and “Sternen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#18,713
“Sternchen” frequency rank
#7,116
“Sternen” frequency rank
25829
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Sternchen Sternen
Definition kleiner, punktförmiger, mit dem bloßen Auge erkennbarer Himmelskörper Dativ Plural des Substantivs Stern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Sternchen and Sternen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Sternchen
7 ch
Sternen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Sternchen ([ˈʃtɛʁnçən]) and Sternen ([ˈʃtɛʁnən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25829, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Sternchen is recorded at frequency rank #18,713, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtɛʁnçən]. Sternen is at rank #7,116, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtɛʁnən].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 25829, this pair ranks #1,827,353 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Sternchen vs Sternen

Shared letters: enrst. Private to "Sternchen": ch. Private to "Sternen": -.

"Sternchen" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCCCVC  ·  "Sternen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Sternchensetrnchen · ssternchen · stenrchen · stercnhen · sterncchen · sterncehn · sternchenn · sternchhen
  • Sternensetrnen · ssternen · stenren · sterenn · sternenn · sternnen · sterrnen · strenen

Frequency comparison

Sternchen#18,713
Sternen#7,116

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Sternchen" and "Sternen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtɛʁnçən] versus [ˈʃtɛʁnən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Sternchen" or "Sternen"?
"Sternen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,116 in our German list, against #18,713 for "Sternchen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Sternchen vs Sternen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Sternchen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list